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First Edition Cycling News, December 13, 2008

Evans still working on pre-Tour programme

A day after Cadel Evans said he did
not plan to race the 2009 edition of the Giro d'Italia, his Silence-Lotto
director sportif Marc Sergeant said that Evans' focus is on the Tour de
France and that his rider had not yet decided his programme for the rapidly
approaching new season.

"For Cadel and me, it's all about the Tour. That's the biggest goal
for us both," said Sergeant to Cyclingnews. "All we need
to do is decide how best to arrive at that race with him in the best form
possible."

After Giro d'Italia race organizers RCS Sport said the Australian Evans
would be riding the Italian Grand Tour come May, Evans accused them
of falsely using his name to promote its event and denied any intentions
to participate along with confirmed contenders Lance Armstrong, Carlos
Sastre, Ivan Basso, and others.

"No Giro for me," Evans told Cyclingnews after reports
of his potentially pink ambitions. "It's possible there is a miscommunication
from my team."

That doesn't mean Evans hasn't at least thought about the possibility.

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"Honestly, I spoke to him a few days ago and he said he wanted to
do it," said Sergeant. "However, now I'm not sure, as we spoke
today and he's thinking that he wants to do his typical programme and
miss the Giro. It's a long way off though, and even if he did agree to
do it, it's a long way away and a lot can happen between now and then."

Just what might happen? "It's hard to say," said Sergeant,
"but he's currently thousands of miles away, and we're all here in
Spain for a training camp. What needs to happen is for Cadel and I sit
down, face to face, and discuss the plans for next year. We'll do that
at the end of January."

A Dolce & Gabbana designed maglia rosa

The 2009 Giro d'Italia will celebrate its 100th year in existence with
a leader's jersey designed by Italian designer firm, Dolce & Gabbana.
The new design features the Italian tricolore  red, white and green
 and the last names of designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.

"A symbol of great tradition like the maglia rosa you can
not change, also because there are rules of aerodynamics to respect. We
limited ourselves to adding the tricolore, which we are linked to as stylists,
and other small things," said Gabbana.

Race organiser RCS Sport will present the official route of the three-week
race on Saturday, in Venice. The Giro celebrates 100 years of existence,
since it first started in May 13, 1909. Organisers first presented the
pink jersey in 1931, matching the colour of newspaper Gazzetta dello
Sport, which is also owned by RCS Sport.

"Like all strokes of genius, the touch of Dolce & Gabbana is
clean and simple," said Giro race director Angelo Zomegnan. (GB)

Bruseghin awaiting Giro details

Team Lampre-NGC's Marzio Bruseghin will be in Venice on Saturday for
the presentation of the 2009 Giro d'Italia. The Venetian racer will be
present at the La Fenice theatre with his team's sports director Fabrizio
Bontempi and press officer Andrea Appiani.

Bruseghin won two Giro time trial stages, and he finished third overall
in 2008.

"I'm curious to discover the Giro d'Italia 2009 route," he
said. "I heard that the route might be even better suited to my qualities
than the last one - perhaps with a longer and tougher time trial."

Stay tuned to Cyclingnews for full coverage of the details of
the 2009 Giro d'Italia presentation.

Landis joins OUCH for a second training camp

Floyd Landis will lead team OUCH into the second of three training camps
scheduled before the squad's first race appearance at the Tour of California
in February of 2009. According to team directeur sportif Mike Tamayo,
the squad will be ready with their A-game for what is arguably the most
important stage race on American soil.

"I think we all feel some pressure, not just myself, but the management,
riders and sponsors," Tamayo told Cyclingnews regarding the
team's newly signed GC contender, Landis, who joins the team after completing
a two-year suspension. He won the 2006 Tour de France, but his title was
taken away following a positive test for testosterone.

"In the past, we've never had a true overall competitor at a race
like the Tour of California. Having a threat like Landis changes the level
of expectations so we're placing more emphasis on the team before we get
to California. We need our best game in all aspects. For example, I'm
driving the courses this week because I want to physically see all of
them, so there are no surprises."

The eleven-rider squad met for a preliminary "meet and greet"
in November in the Blue Ridge mountains of Asheville, North Carolina.
According to Tamayo, the first impressions of Landis were that of a down-to-earth
person with immense leadership skills and strength.

"He was very laid back at our mini camp," Tamayo said. "It
was successful. It allowed Floyd a chance to meet his teammates and get
some training in. Plus, it helped get the guys thinking about the season
and how we're all going to work together. It was a breath of fresh air
to see how smooth and well it came together."

The second meeting will take place in southern California in mid-December
followed by the third and final ten-day training session held in Temecula,
home of the title sponsor OUCH Sport Medical Centre. "It's nice to
have the resources to bring the team together a few times," Tamayo
said. "Every time we meet, it's one more place to see the riders'
progression and it brings the team together a little more. We're learning
what we will need to do to support a rider like Landis."

Returning riders include team captain Tim Johnson and five-year veteran
Roman Kilun, Karl Menzies, Rory Sutherland and John Murphy. New signings
include Landis along with Brad White from Successful Living, Andrew Pinfold
and Cameron Evans from Symmetrics, Bobby Lea from Toyota-United and neo-pro
Jonathan Chodroff, for a total of eleven riders.

"We're keeping in tight for 2009," Tamayo said. "Where
the team will go in the future? We all need a crystal ball for that. But,
we wanted a small and select quality group to focus on this season."

A conversation with Bob Stapleton

To say that Don Catlin was an unfamiliar name in cycling circles is to
underestimate how well-informed the average bike fan now is about all
matters doping, but it's certainly true to say that the LA-based expert's
profile has risen considerably in recent weeks.

After Lance Armstrong's announcement earlier in the autumn that Catlin
will be his personal anti-doping policeman in the 2009 season, on Monday
it was the Colombia and Garmin teams' turn to officially unveil Catlin
as the man behind their new independent testing programme. The news comes
after the company that previously fulfilled the same role for both US-based
teams, the Agency for Cycling Ethics (ACE), ceased its operations.

With the press release still hot on the printer, on Monday afternoon,
I spoke to Columbia team boss Bob Stapleton to find out more about a programme
which he believes marks another breakthrough in cycling's war on drugs.

Procycling:
Bob, can you tell us a little bit about the kind of assurances you wanted
from Don Catlin when you first started talking to him about running a
testing programme for the Columbia riders?

Bob Stapleton: I started talking
to Don over a year ago, before we started with ACE. When you talk about
anti-doping in North America, Don Catlin's pretty much the guy. He's the
godfather. You only have to look at the number of times he's been the
chief witness for the prosecution in cases brought by USADA (United States
Antidoping Agency) and how many times they won. I think USADA's record's
something like 34 -0. Don's actually the first guy I talked to about an
independent testing programme, but he wasn't in a position to take that
on back then. When we sat down and started talking this time, my main
questions were about whether Don and his people could handle the workload,
and whether we had common goals. It was also important to me that we didn't
just start something totally new, without building on what we've already
done with ACE and the biological passport. Science-wise, Don wants to
do a lot of work on the different kinds of EPOs or biosimilars, plus use
the profiling that's already done. What I also really like about Don is
that he's not just interested in catching cheats for the sake of it 
he wants to level the playing field for the guys who are competing clean.
I think having him on board is great for the team and for the sport.

Basque says no to Vuelta a España

Basque nationalist parties in the regional parliament said no to inviting
the Vuelta a España back to its region according to the El Mundo
newspaper. The Vuelta last visited the Basque area in 1979, but it was
marred by protests, which caused the cancellation of a stage. Those who
refused to bring the Vuelta back to Basque justified their refusal by
saying, "Basque Country is not Spain".

The Basque Country is not France, either, but in contrast, the same parties
previously voted to allow the Tour de France into the Basque capital of
Bilbao for the 2013 edition.

Earlier this year, Tour de France organizers, the Amaury Sport Organisation,
bought a 49% stake in the Vuelta a España, leaving 51% of it still
in the hands of Spanish organizers Unipublic.

Pucinskaite ready to lead Team Dilā - Kuota

Edita Pucinskaite wrapped up her first training camp with her new team
Dila - Kuota in Sormano, Italy. There she received her new Kuota bike
and started laying the foundations for next season with her new teammates.

"All the young girls were full of enthusiasm. Unfortunately, three
of the girls were missing, but I'm sure that we'll all soon bond as a
group," said Pucinskaite, who will serve as leader of the team along
with Marta Viljaosana.

"I will be the leader with the most responsibility and will also
work with our young riders to help them grow. Some of them have already
been riding for their national teams, but most have not had a lot of pressure."

At the meeting, Pucinskaite and her teammates visited Sormano and took
a hike in some freshly fallen snow. Following the meeting, she will continue
to work in the gym and start riding more from January onward. "Cycling
is ruthless. If you want to stay on top, you have to commit 100%,"
she said.

USA Cycling announces 2009 National Championship schedule

On a weekend when the US is deciding its cyclo-cross national champions
for 2008, USA Cycling announced dates and locations for a majority of
its 17 National Championship events for 2009. The governing body plans
to award more than 480 titles in junior, U23, collegiate, master, elite
and professional ranks in road, track, mountain bike, BMX and cyclo-cross.

The BMX National Championships will kick off the action on March 21 at
Metroplex BMX in Desoto, Texas. Two months later, student athletes from
many of the nearly 300 collegiate cycling teams around the country will
converge in Fort Collins, Colorado, for the second consecutive year to
contest the division one and two Collegiate Road National Championships
on May 15-17.

In one of the largest gatherings of the year, more than 1,000 racers
are expected at the Masters Road National Championships in Louisville,
Kentucky on June 28  July 4. Amateur cyclists between 30 and 85+
will compete for titles at the second-year venue in individual time trial,
criterium and road race events.

With six nationals, July will be the busiest month. Next up will be the
Junior Track National Championships in Carson, California from July 2-5.
At about the same time, on July 4, off-road ultra-endurance cyclists will
celebrate the holiday at the Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships
in Breckenridge, Colorado. The event is held in conjunction with the Firecracker
50. More track action in the form of Tandem Sprint National Championships
will happen on July 10 at the "Tandemonium" event at the Valley
Preferred Cycling Center in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania.

After two years on the East Coast, the Mountain Bike National Championships
will head to the Rocky Mountains as Sol Vista Basin in Granby, Colorado,
plays host July 16-19. Cross country, downhill, short track, four cross,
singlespeed and super D will keep fat tire enthusiasts busy racing.

Once again, Downers Grove, Illinois, will welcome the fastest riders
in America to the Elite & Professional Criterium Championships on
August 15-16. After two days of racing, three national champions will
be crowned in the elite men's and women's categories, as well as a pro
men's champion.

Amateur riders aged 30 and up will head to Indianapolis where the Major
Taylor Velodrome will host the USA Cycling Master Track National Championships,
August 18-23, and finally at the end of the month, Greenville, South Carolina,
will host the fourth consecutive Professional Road & Time Trial National
Championships on August 29-30.

The ADT Event Center will host its second national championship event
of the year when it welcomes the nation's best track riders to the Elite
Track National Championships on September 30  October 4.

Still to be decided are the Junior, U23 & Elite Road National Championships
tentatively scheduled for July 8-12 (bids accepted through January 15);
the Collegiate Track National Championships, tentatively for September;
and the 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships in Payson, Arizona
in mid-late September. The Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships
will again take place during its traditional late-October time slot, however
exact dates and locations are undetermined.

With the ominium competition at the UCI Track World Championships gain
in popularity, a multi-race event will be introduced into the National
Championships in 2009. An invitation-only competition for men and women
will be held at a date and location yet to be determined and serve as
the first International Omnium National Championships.

Finally, the Cyclo-cross National Championships will happen December
11-14 at a location still to be decided although the bid process has closed.

Figures show unprecedented growth in British Cycling

New figures released by British Cycling showed that it is growing at
an unprecedented rate. The numbers confirmed findings by Sport England
that released figures showing that cycling is the second fastest growing
sport in Britain.

For the first time, British Cycling (BC) reported more than 25,000 members.
In addition, 13,000 cyclists also hold racing licences  more than
at any time since British Cycling's formation in 1959. At the beginning
of British Cycling's current funding cycle in 2005, British Cycling had
15,000 members and 8,500 cyclists with racing licences.

BC's president Brian Cookson OBE said "25,000 members and 13,000
licence holders is a real milestone for British Cycling and is a great
way to end what has been a fantastic year for us. Our membership growth
is testament to the hard work and dedication of all our volunteers at
a national, regional and club level and I would like to personally thank
everyone for the contribution they have made to British Cycling's growth."

The news comes as Sport England's latest Active People Survey (2007/2008)
revealed that 1,767,200 people, or 4.26% of the British population, cycle
at least once per week for more than 30 minutes. That is an increase of
132,000 people since 2005/2006 and reveals cycling as the second fastest
growing sport in the country. The survey showed that, combined, sport
and recreational cycling had an increase of 334,700 participants over
the period.

The popularity comes after Britain excelled in cycling at the Olympic
Games this summer in Beijing, China.

"This is a unique moment in time for cycling, from our success in
Beijing in the summer through to the immense number of people getting
involved in the sport. When you take cycling as a sport, recreational
activity and form of transport it would easily make cycling the number
one and fastest growing activity in England," said BC chief executive
Ian Drake.

"However, I believe that this is just the beginning. We are now
awaiting confirmation of funding from Sport England to allow us to grow
our programmes and to grow the sport even more between 2009 and 2013.
With the anticipated support from Sport England combined with our partnership
with BSKYB, British Cycling has the potential to make the single biggest
contribution to more people playing sport in the run up to London 2012
and beyond."

The number and variety of cycling events available for all sorts of cyclists
to take part in has also grown rapidly in recent years under the umbrella
of British Cycling. Between 2005 and 2007 there has been a 14% rise in
the number of competitive events and a 47% increase in non-competitive
events. The number of people taking part in these events has risen by
48% and 255% respectively.

In 2007, more than 2,500 cycling events were affiliated with British
Cycling. There were also around 1400 affiliated cycling clubs throughout
the country.

Nothstein named new executive director of Trexlertown velodrome

Marty Nothstein was promoted to Executive Director of the Valley Preferred
Cycling Center in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania. The velodrome's Board of
Directors named him to the position during the Velodrome Fund Inc.'s annual
board meeting on Tuesday.

"I'm so excited to be given this opportunity to lead," said
Nothstein. "The Valley Preferred Cycling Center means so much, not
only to the world of cycling and to our community, but to me personally,
as this is the venue where I was able to build and finish my career as
a professional cyclist. I look forward to guiding the facility into the
future and showing the community the possibilities that the Cycling Center
has to offer."

Nothstein began his career in grass roots racing programs on the velodrome
and worked his way up to winning an Olympic gold medal in the match sprint
in the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, in 2000. He was previously
occupying position of Executive Vice President of the velodrome.